THE Guam Fire Department rescue team responded to a 911 call around 3 p.m. yesterday about a possible missing swimmer in Tumon Bay.
GFD personnel found the reported missing person along the shore within the hour.

“It was a breakdown in communication,” said Lt. Ed Artero, GFD spokesman. The call came from a woman who thought the person went into the ocean, Artero said. The person thought to be missing had not entered the water and was found on the shore in the area.

Four days ago, on Dec. 30, 2013, Guam Fire and Rescue units along with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy rescued two swimmers outside Pågat Cave.

In 2013, there were 13 water-related deaths. The last two reported drownings happened more than a week ago, on Christmas Day. Officials responded to a call of three distressed swimmers near the Jonestown overlook. The body of one man was recovered. The two other swimmers were sent to Guam Memorial Hospital, and one man was later pronounced dead.